In "Should I pursue my dreams or get rich?", Xavier Tsai, a PhD student in Astrophysics , asks this question on the quora, which he means "Which one has more potential to make the world a better place?". There are many perspectives of the answers; some people suggest that he could compromise and do both things, some advice is that he should do research in his field in the early age and then he could go for the business when he's getting older. The most "upvoted" answer from Richard Muller, who is a Prof Physics at UCBerkeley and author of "Now-The Physics of Time" (Norton, 2016), is that "go for the money" because the research is only for people who don't have other things to do and addict in each field. This is not a path toward to happiness, job security or well-paid.
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My response
This question also was coming up in my mind when I have decided to study a master degree. I definitely want to learn in programming because I love to do and I think that I would affect the world in the future in many fields. In addition, my goal is I want to create the innovation in medication field which would help other people to be a better situation than they used to be. There are 3 options that I have to decide which way I want to go with.
The first one is working as the researcher, this would spend me many hours in the lab and university to do the research. Second, going to work as a programmer as professoinal carrer whether join start up project, or create it with co-founder, to create the health care innovation. This way I think it is tough than the first one because it would use a lot of money to have an innovation and the period is at least three years in development process, this is not include launch to the public as trial and error.
However, I don't want to go with the first option; when I imagine that I have worked as the researcher in the university, I feel that it would not happy. I don't know how exactly to describe but I think everyone can feel with one we would make you happy ,which one is not.
My last options is that I just do some businesses and get rich. Then use that money to support the medication innovation. This option is still hard to accomplish since I have to get very rich and have money left to go for something else that not provide you the money and your business have to run without struggling.
Currently, I stil trend to go with option two and still look forward to create some business that can provide me money. This is long way to go and I believe I could do it one day down the road.
How about you guy, what is your idea about this one? If you had to answers his question, what would be your suggestion?
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Reference
- Tsai, X. "Should I pursue my dreams or get rich?. (2016)". Quora. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Should-I-pursue-my-dreams-or-get-rich
I like the discussion on Topp's source, where people are sharing different ideas on the question asked. I think Muller's response, that he as drawn to physics "like a moth to a flame" shows him to be happy with his choice.
ReplyDeleteMy own opinion? I think money is essential, but not being rich. I could live well on much less than I actually spend. We all have to make these choices for ourselves, but that does not mean that all choices are equally good. I'm sure that Bill Gates wanted to make money, but becoming the richest man in the world was more an accident that came from successfully following his dreams as a university drop out (but he did drop out of a top university). And unlike the morally warped rich who inherit money and selfishly keep it indulge their lusts, Gates and others who earned their own extreme wealth are extremely generous with it, using it to help others.
Of course, having less money limits your options to change the world, but the reality is that most of us cannot make any massive change in the world: we might, but the self-help books who say anyone can do anything are just lying. I think it's enough to be good and to do good for others as we can, and there are many ways to do this: for example, the young Thai man arrested for exercising the basic democratic right to free speech is doing good against corrupt laws.
That sounds interesting, personally, I determine to choose my dream because it is more important than rich. I would like to improve occupational health education and knowledge in Thailand that can safe many workers from unsafe conditions and unsafe actions in workplaces.
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